Obsolete

Speak every language. My job possibilities would expand tremendously, and in turn this would open up more chances for job-related travel. Plus I'd be able to watch anything without subtitles, which would be quite useful considering how often I watch foreign works.

Instruments would be lost on me. I'm not the performing type, and I'm not convinced that having technical mastery would translate to artistic mastery. I doubt I'd be able to compose anything worth a damn.

Obviously this doesn't apply to all bronies, but many are too prone to congratulating themselves. They don't just think of themselves as fans of a show, but as members of a misunderstood, persecuted collective that transcends social norms and stands as a fountain of love and kindness and friendship in a world that just doesn't get them. It's silly. 

Somewhat related to that, they also have a penchant for histrionics - whether it's in reaction to hate for their favorite ponies or grimdark/shipping art or just disagreements with staff policies. So many things get blown out of proportion that it crosses over into the realm of unintentional comedy. Actually, never mind. This is my favorite thing about the fandom. It's always good for a bemused chuckle.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Funny and surreal look into the motivations behind passion projects. The big selling point is that it marks Michael Keaton's return into the spotlight, and he doesn't disappoint. Edward Norton nearly steals the show from him though.

Also notable for being shot and edited in such a way that the majority of the movie appears to consist of a single take (though the transitions are quite obvious). The technique was employed brilliantly during the stage play scenes, but otherwise I'm uncertain what purpose it served. That said, major points for creativity. Well worth the watch when it releases later this week.

Adolescence of Utena

Now this is an odd creation. A very loose retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena television show, that could also count as an alternate ending to the series despite the apparent lack of continuity because LOL SURREALISM. I'm not sure why it exists, but I'll take it.

I liked it more than the show, in fact. Sure, the characters don't have much depth here and the narrative is pretty much incoherent, but it also fixes the pacing problems of the show and boasts far more inventive visuals and superior production values. I found it easy to just put aside my hangups with the characters and plot and just enjoy the beautifully animated lunacy on display.

Fun way to spend 90 minutes.

@@Rudes, I can't wait to see Inherent Vice, how did you get to see it so early?! 

Long story short, I was volunteering at the New York Film Festival where the film had its world premiere a few nights ago, with zero expectations of getting in. My volunteer manager must have taken a liking to me, because she released me from my shift early and managed to get her hands on an unclaimed ticket for me. Next thing I know, I'm in the auditorium, sitting nearly at the front, with Paul Thomas Anderson introducing the film (along with the cast) just a few dozen feet away from me.

Surreal night, that was. Hopefully I'll have the same luck when Birdman screens on closing night. 

Inherent Vice reminded me how much I love Can's Ege Bamyasi. This here is a pretty kickass song to open a movie with.

HEY YOU. YOU'RE LOSING, YOU'RE LOSING, YOU'RE LOSING, YOU'RE LOSING YOUR VITAMIN C.

Inherent Vice

I still can't believe I got to watch this two months ahead of release. This is getting quite a bit of hype in some circles - understandably considering it's a new film by a respected director - but I do hope people don't set their expectations too high. This movie struck me as PTA goofing off rather than aiming for greatness. I suspect audiences will be quite split on this one, and it's unlikely to get much love from the Academy come oscar time, save for maybe in the technical categories. 

What did I think? Ehhhh. It's either a comedy that isn't funny enough or a mystery that's too convoluted to engage, unless the increasingly tangled plot is meant to be some kind of meta-joke. All I could really appreciate from a single viewing of it was the fantastic 70s period detail and the exuberant performances. Otherwise, I don't know what to make of it.

Maybe I needed to be stoned.

I'm both ecstatic for more Korra and a little concerned. This season is being released so soon that I can't help but worry that the quality might be diluted. I wouldn't have minded them taking their time with it. But we'll see how it goes.

As for the time skip, I'm fine with it. They ended season 3 in a place where the narrative could reasonably stand still, free of major conflicts for a few years. With skillful writing, all the relevant information about what happened in between could be conveyed in a single episode if they need to. 

16

Have you been counting how many times Anthy (Scabbard to her friends) Himemiya get's bitch-slapped?

Not really, but it's been happening with surprising frequency. xD

I'm now on episode 11 and it's terrific. Just when I think it's settling into a predictable formula, it pulls out a new surprise that forces me to look at something in a new light. Hopefully it keeps up this quality.

I do remember. It was on a status I made about pizza and wheels back when I was a newbie.

I think I said this on the first page but I don't care. 

I'm currently 6 episodes into Revolutionary Girl Utena. It's not amazing so far, but it's fun and has some rather interesting stylistic traits, like the shadow puppet interludes (which I adore), the cool prog-rock inspired soundtrack during the duels, and the use of repetition as a storytelling device. I hear it's supposed to become a self-indulgent arty mess as it goes along. I am so psyched.

I remember clearly. You gave me my first brohoof, making you the first person here to interact with me.

Really, only the first three are set in stone and the other two were chosen based on my current mood. 

1. Genesis

2. Radiohead

3. Opeth

4. King Crimson

5. Depeche Mode

I think I first saw you commenting on a banned user's blog post, late last year. Your name made an impression. I think it used to be Dawnsborough? Please tell me I'm not making that up.

I first saw you on this very thread, but it was a few hours ago and at the time I couldn't be bothered with replying.

About a dozen rolls of vegetarian sushi with some roasted asparagus on the side, covered in some asian sauce I don't know the name of. 

It wasn't enough. I want more.

His and Her Circumstances. It was quite the interesting experiment while it lasted, and I would have very much liked to have seen the results if they'd had a proper budget and had been able to finish what they started. As it is, the finished product is plagued with recaps and a horribly anticlimactic ending. Makes me wonder if this is how people felt when Evangelion ended the way it did....

Firefly, sorta. I want more, but I'm not convinced I would cherish what we have as much as I do if it had gone on longer. It would have probably dropped in quality severely somewhere down the line. The follow-up film Serenity did enough damage to it already (didn't like it all that much, sorry).

Oh yes. At least a dozen of them.

A fairer question would be whether there is a western cartoon I consider superior, considering I don't watch many of those. But the answer is still yes.

*points to the Avatar franchise*

La Dolce Vita.

Very good, but as is often the case with movies of this length (three hours), it has a difficult time maintaining interest throughout its entirety. Sometimes it's riveting, but not consistently so. Still a great effort, and a thousand times more watchable than Amarcord.

8/10

Watched The Wrong Man by Alfred Hitchcock. This was made during his 50s peak years, but I have to agree with the majority, it's a minor work. A superbly crafted minor work. Hard to believe it's based on a true story, since so much of it plays like a Kafkaesque nightmare, with the cards seemingly being stacked against our hapless everyman by some unknown cosmic force.

Engaging, but not essential.

7/10

I'm not listening to it right this moment, but earlier today I had The Mars Volta's 32-minute epic Cassandra Gemini as the background music to my morning jog. I haven't actually listened to the whole thing yet, but so far it's ridiculously fun.

http://youtu.be/tzTtl878k0s

I tried to watch Federico Fellini's acclaimed Amarcord this morning, but my copy started freaking out roughly 34 minutes in and I had to stop it. Based on those 34 minutes, I have very little motivation to watch the rest of it. It was a tedious parade of grotesque characters which didn't seem to be leading anywhere interesting, and I didn't see any hints of directorial sophistication from Fellini either. The best part of it was a fart joke, and I'm not sure I should be saying that about something that's commonly classified as an art film 

I'm a tad conflicted now. One one hand, I have a compulsive need to finish everything I start so I can have a respectable opinion on it. On the other, I was frightfully bored while watching it and turning it off came as a genuine relief.

Arty beat me to it. Oven-baked asparagus with olive oil and garlic salt is currently the love of my life. It's a snap to prepare, and thus I keep including it as a side with every dish. I care not what effect it has on the smell of urine.

I also have a thing for taking raw broccoli, slicing it thinly, and eating it with hummus. Great snack. Always hits the spot.

And kale. Significantly better than lettuce or spinach, if you ask me. 

what does it mean